The ceremony
began with Guardian Angel Rita reading the poem "The Fragile Circle."

The Fragile Circle
We who choose to surround ourselves with lives
Even more temporary than our own,
Live within a fragile circle,
Easily and often breached.

Unable to accept its awful gaps,
We still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only certain immortality,
Never fully understanding the necessaryplan.

We continued by
remembering and lighting candles
for the epi-pup's of our members
who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge since December.
After each name was read,
expressions of sympathy and love
were shared by those in attendance.

They say memories are golden
Well, maybe that is true.
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I will miss you,
A million times I will cry
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still,
In my heart you hold a place
No other pup could ever fill.

It broke my heart to lose you
But you did not go alone
For part of me went with you
The day God called you home.

Your precious memory is my keepsake,
With which I'll never part.
God has you safe in His keeping
But I'll have you forever in my heart.

If tears could build a stairway
And heartache make a lane
I'd walk the path to heaven
And bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken
And nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one
The chain will link again…

The ceremony
continued by lighting candles for and remembering the epi-pals
of our members who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge since December.
After the names were read, attendees shared their thoughts and feelings with the
group.